Portable folding scaffold.



L H. PETTIS.

PORTABLE .FOLDING scAFFoLD.

APPLICATION FILED. DEC. 3. 1917.

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PORTABLE FOLDING SCAFFULD.

Lacasse.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, '1913.

Application led December 3, 1917. Serial No. 205,031.

T all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN H. PETTIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have in'- vented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Folding Scaffolds, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

The invention relates to portable scaffolding for painters, decorators and others who desire a simple and effective apparatus by means of lwhich a working platform may be adjusted to different heights, being so braced and supported as to hold said working platform rmly in position to sustain a number of workmen; and the invention consists in the novel features and combinations hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side ele# vation of the ortable scaffolding in the collapsed or folp and vertical positions being shown in dotted outline. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the portable scaffolding in a still further upwardly ext-ended position from those shown in Fig. 1, a side elevation of the device in the position shown in Fig. 2 is given in Fig. 3, in which position the 'working platform is used as an extension portable ladder to obtain the eXtreme elevation. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the portable scaffolding in the vertical elevated position shown in dotted line in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional view at line 5-5 in Fig.. 1 showing the arrangement of the standards and other parts in the vertical position, also the rope and windlass for raising and lowering the scaffolding. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the traveling block which supports the lower ends of the braces, showing holes therethrough for attaching the lower ends of the braces and the grooved ways in said block; and Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the supporting bed or frame of the ortable scaolding at line 7-7 in Fig. 4, s owing the sliding ways on said supporting frame for the travelingblock.

Like characters of reference refer to corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 10 designates the bed or frame which comprises the two parallel side rails or timbers 11 and 12 and the connecting cross bars at spaced intervals, which rails 10 are also held in position by suitable frame ded position, the semi-raised work upon the aXles 13 upon which the wheels 14 are revolubly mounted.

The frame pieces 11 and 12 have the sliding ways 15 on their upper sides which engage in the grooves 16 in the traveling block 17. The block 17 is preferably made up of a plurality of cross pieces 18 connected by top cross pieces 19, which top cross pieces 19 have the holes 20 therethrough for pivotally and adjustably attaching the lower ends of certain of the braces for the superstructure or scaffolding.

, The block 17 has the eye bolt 21 preferably extending through two or more of the cross blocks 18 for attaching a rope 22 to the block 17, which -rope4 22 is connected to a windlass 23. The windlass 23 consists of a roll on a shaft which is'rotatably mounted on the supporting timbers 11 and 12 and turned by means of a crank 24.

A platform 25 is provided, preferably having a series of cross bars 26 along side and a plank 27 along the other so that the bars 26 may be used as a ladder when it is desired to obtain the extreme upward extension of the folding scaffold. The platform 25 is supported upon a plurality of standards 28, 29 and 30, a sufficient number being used to firmly support the platform 25. The standards 28 are pivotally attached to the bed rails 11 and 12 at their lower ends 42 and to the frame work of the platform 25 at their upper ends .28.

The standard 28 also has pivotally attached thereto the bars 31 to which the lower ends of the standards 29 and 30 are pivotally attached at 32 and 33, while the upper ends of said standards are pivotally attached to the frame Work of the platform at 34 and A. cross bar 36 connects said standards 28, 29 and 30 about midway of their height, being pivotal] y attached tothe same to hold said standards parallel. The lower hars 31 being hinged at 42 permit the opposite ends of said bars 31 being raised as shown in Fig. 3 for the elevation of one end of the platform 25.

In order to raise and lower the platform 25, the following brace bars are provided: A. pair of brace bars 37 are pivotally attached at their lower ends to the sliding block 17 by means of a removable pin 38 through the holes 20 and at their up er ends to the standards 29. The sliding lock 17 being mounted between the sliding ways 15 may thus be operated to raise and lower the Vplatform 25 and standards. Another pair of brace bars 39 are pivotally attached to the upright 28 at their upper ends about on a level with the upper ends of the brace bars 37 and the lower ends may be attached to the sliding block 17 or may engage inthe mortises 40 and 41 in the supporting bed rails 11 and 12. Additional brace bars 43, 44 and 45 may be attached when needed to stiifen the scaffolding it its most elevated position, the braces 43, 44 and 45 being placed on the side away from the wall tov be decorated. The brace bar 45 has an extension 46 to adjust it to different elevations. Spacing blocks 47 are placed on the different pivoting bolts to hold the parts in spaced alinement, and most of the different uprights 28, 29 and 30 as well as the cross bars 31 and 36 are made in pairs in order to render the complete construction strong and durable so that the platform 25 shall be firm for the support of a number of workmen.

ln order that an extra height may be reached an upright 48 is provided with foot pins on opposite sides so that workmen may climb the upright 48. The cleats 49 are preferably provided on the two uprights 28 for ascent to the platform 25 and, when the extreme elevation is attained asin Figs. 2 and 3, the cleats 26 provide further means of ascending to the top of the scaffolding.

Upon winding the cable or rope 22 on the windlass 23, which is equipped with a ratchet 50, the block 17 will be slid toward the base of the superstructure and, through the braces 37, and 39, effect an elevation of the standards 28, 29 and 30 and the platv form 25. Consequently, during the raising and. lowering of the platform, considerable weight is thereby imposed upon the slidable block 17. A board 51 is hinged at 52 to the upper end of the platform and rests across the first slat 26 so'that said board 51 forms a platform upon which a workman canr stand with the scaffolding in the eX- treme elevation. The latform 25 is lowered bythe removal of the lower ends of the braces, 39 from the mortises 40 and 41 and the release of the ratchet 50, the weight of the scaffolding sliding' the block 17 back to the full line position shown in Fig. 1.

A .simple folding work bench 53 and a tool chest are preferably provided upon the supporting frame or bed rails 10 on the side away from the wall. It is apparent that the scaffolding is portable and easily moved upon the wheels 14 to any desired position, the front wheels being sufliciently small to turn beneath the frame 10.

The plank or board 27 for the workmen to stand upon is preferably placed on the side of the platform 25 toward the wall and arms 53 are hinged to the plank 27 on the side toward the wall so that they may be messo? turned outwardly and rest against said wall, a series of holes 54 being provided in the plank so that the arms 53 may be easily adjusted as to their projection beyond the edge of the plank 27. A second plank 55 may also be attached upon the opposite side of the platform 25 when a larger platform is needed by extending the transverse frame members of the latter, preferably with the bars or slats 26 between the planks so as to form a central ladder for use when eXtra elevations are needed. Additional braces may also be provided without departing from the invention. As for example a short brace '56 may be attached to the standard 30 or platform 25 to automatically drop down into the vertical position and rest upon the bed rail or frame 10, thus holding the platform and frame firmly in position when in the folded or lowered position shown in Fig. 1. rl`he bed 10 may consist of the parallel bed rails 11 and 12 but usually it is preferable that the bed 10 should be wider than said spaced bed rails in order to provide a broader base for the raised platform 25. Accordingly vthe frame 10 extends beyond the parallel bed rails 11 and 12 and is supported upon the axles 13 with a wider wheel base as desired.

l claim as new l. A folding scaffolding comprising a supporting means, an element slidably mounted on said supporting means to move back and forth thereon, a scaolding comprising standards hinged to said supporting means at their lower ends and a platform hinged to their upper ends, braces detachably and pivotally attached to said slidably mounted element to come and go therewith and to said standards to raise and lower said standards by the movement of vsaid element, means on the supporting means with which said braces may be engaged to hold.v the scaolding operative, and means for moving said element.

2. A folding scalold comprising a support, a foldable scaffolding comprising spaced forward and rearward standards, the forward standards being pivoted to the support, transverse braces pivotally connecting the rearward standards to the forward standards for swinging in a vertical plane, a platform carried by the upper ends of the standards undltiltable to an inclined position upon vertically moving the rear standards relative to the forward standards, said platform being usable as a ladder when inclined, and means for moving the rear standards relative to the forward standards. p 3. A folding scaffold comprising a support, a foldable scaffolding comprising spaced forward and rearward standards, the forward standards being pivoted to the support, transverse braces pivotally connecting the rearward standards to the forhold the forward standards operative, said platform having a slot formed therein, and an upright passing through the platform v .slot and-provided with foot pins above the latter. v

l1. A folding sca'old comprising a support, a foldable scaolding comprising' lspaced forward and rearward standards,

the forward standards being pivoted to the support, transverse braces pivotally eonneeting the rearward standards to the forward standards for swinging in a vertical plane a platform carried by the upper ends of the standards and tiltable to an inclined posi tion upon vertically moving the rear standards relative to the forward standards, said. platform being usable as a ladder when inclined, a 'slide member mounted on guides on the support, means for operating the .es me slide member, braces connecting the latter 20c Sennenns, L E 

